Field stretcher



AU- 24, 1943- F. MONTGOMERY '2,327,919

FIELD STRETCHER Filed June 24, 1942 2 Smets-Sheet l N B Rw w e e s l a l I @k M N i l N l i l I l Ik@ EL: w g.: (3 4 I--l :gl Q4 i Q (D I N l l W I ww we N 5 no' I l Q i) i lt -I I "u l. m- J: m GOT JNVENTOR.

Aug- 24, 1943 F. E. MoNTGoMERY 2,327,919

FIELD STRETCHER v Filed June 24, 1942 2 Sheets-Sheetl 2 lient' im mie-ht,

Patented Aug. 24, 1943 l EID .ESTATQES @SF L l Y mezzora c -FIEIJJlSTRllCljPLEE Francis lE. "Montgomery, 'Washingtom B. C.

nppncaemmneaa 1942, serial No.. aiaaee .Y

fMy present invention relates itc :an Yifirlmoxzed eld :stretcher of .the fielding vtynenwheh -iS vaise adapted 'for euse .as :an-innalidflift and transfer., :a penteble ilitter, 4:or as :a zeellansble cot; @but :'fer convenience of elesceiptien:Ishallherein feier te the )implement as fa vielcl stretcher, er as a stretoher.. l

t :Enea-primary objeetcefathe:intention :is the 'previsionlofsa iieldsstre hzisacemparatively construction, Land which may afithfconvenienee and `facility be foldeeztc compaetzformlandoshapef risterasela-nd pentaleilitmand which may 'with equal ,facility fee unfolded and extended for-use 'when Required In :calming :out my intentien I :employ ia .rminmum numberzopantszinerder that tliezstteteher may the :manufaeturedfat aecmnaratiifeiy low cest of production, and itsfpaetsassemleled liilith :een: Venenee, :te produce :a zmggeel, YWellaleraeed, .and strong amplement fer lthe fnerffcemanee i @its functions-1r l.' elntilizela paiifcfileneitueinallyextendingeide bats leach lcem-piczismg :tive fhiiiaedY sections with means `afer aetainnsthem infalinetl, extendedpa sition., aand means @are .also premided te mettent relative movement er twisting' ef the aimed leecticns :at the hingedV aint. ,l :side thats .are spaced tapant l and nivctaliy connected by fa )pair cf transversely extending, Aiclaalele,k '-leraces ihav.- me; means iter :retaining them iin feiiteededffpesition. l {.Ihe .stretoherlislalse ipaevideo Witheet-suit.- able number ofl fixed ,lees fand Tfeet infuse slippettrig :the implement when in l1e,attendedinesitioanandfeaeladeg isfmounted' enea :side-aber section in, suchzmannerasite frictionaliyferigagezanother seetienwhen :the stretcher Yis `.felcleel finto eompaet .termen :erdelj tciholdnriretain the secf tions .andsectersin close :relationship tenroeide fa paekage erlbnndle thateomfenient Afor storage erfhandlirig: 1

'Eile fintentiomcensistslin 'cert-,ain nevel cambinations and analogements,-oi` parts `foi* 1aecomplshing thercabove nueposes pas L iwill ,heremafter be more Lilly .fset Ifeithl ln thefraecempanying daawiriasf ghaveillustratefi. .enefcemplete exam.` plexef ltloe tphysisalt.emlcetiiment et3 "y snventien wherein theypaftsfaeecombinednafrid .altrangedaeoording to one mode I have devised for thefapnl-icatien` ef the principlesrnffmyieventiemhut it will be mnderstecd that [ohanees and `alteiaticnns may-be snede-lin fthe exemplityine fstrluctiltes ci the t deawines, rwithin ;t1.1e; seope-ef my amended elzams; without @departing :from :the @mincinles tof myinventien: l c El,

- :Eigene-1starten:planfiaiewzoittltegfielossnaetelaer embodying my invention, shown in 'extendedp sitionfthe flexible ,cover being,inol,i ;al',edAby dotted lines or ,convenience-of illustration.

4Eiglire .2 yis a :side vView fof Jthe stretcher ure J1. Figure A3l is .a :side tgiew of the ,stretcher folded yposition;and Figure 4 is ,a -top plaoviewof the-same. v L 4 Figute lfis an Yenlargeds detailrseetional .Viemas .Frigthe tlegs in retaiiriing :the .sections in `,folded ipo! sition. y

lllieure 6 is lan-genlareed detail vperspective View illustrating ythe -iolded ,hinge joint between ``two sideenarlsectons. A Y

V Vigure 'his `a ,detail .seetional ,view .of the .hinge unit. 1

lli'igure r8 Lis a `detail perspective View ,ofrpantof the folded stretcher, `lshowing fthe haodleends of the -fe11 r,;side-bar sections, together `with one Ici the folded `tratisveits,e braces, 1and 4the iixed ,legs for retaining thefsectioris. t l t. l

For convenience 1of ,ill stration, the clover ,C ris indicated by dotted lines in fFigllle Land this comer, which is iashienedtefsuitablze .ilexibleanateria; is astenedn @appropxiate .length alongthe enter Vedges or .sideKA faces of thesde ,bars A `'Iloe cover, as tusua1,lcas .ample .material :te nleiiide ,a comfortable support 4for a ,patient .or invalidi-and thelmaterialgpessesses-adequate fleaibiltyato per.- mit folding andfuniolding,complementary tothe l manipulations .of the foldable Aside .bars Yof #the stretcher. Y Y t Each-cf` the awo :longitudinallyeXtendiog sidebats eomplises :two :sectonsvas If, la vanda, L12o, having handles k.3 .ayt wtllei-I .puter .ends vand yeaoh p air Vof cs ections Iis provided `With a pivotal (j oint or 11i-nge ,unit `Whioh,areindieatedeaelias awhole by v.the numerals ..4 and .,5, the s assembly AViews of the drawings. Y "lhesfe hinge :units `fa-ielof coinpleinentaiy oi `:duplicate .construction mand therefele'a ldeserptienscffene imiter-,joint t as in lilieulaes Gland, Willsfceyfor,b othilmits. A

-In .this t illustrated T`errlleediiienft of my invention,w here fthe :side-thai sections .are pleterably fashioned f of Wood `to -i-lsuie light Weight, the abutting -sgnared tends' of Vthe lsectionsare :first fashioned with slots of sufficient depth `to VaC- commodate two oomplementaigy fiat metal fplates :and ft., risidlyffastenedlas les' Screws twithin thezslettedeends efitloefsectiensl t These .parallel flat hinge-plates `are pit/foiled -togather by .-meaiisieffa hinge ,tiefer pivot fein ,i l Se 'that ef itlielseeticns fmaybe Sivunwe clore-f tated :en the :pin t telatitely fic fthe :other fseetien through an arc of one hundred and eighty degrees. Thus the hinged, sectional side bar may be folded upon itself, to bring the sections of the bar into approximately parallel relation, and the folded bar may be unfolded to extend the sec tions in alinement. Each ofthe two hinge plates 8 and 9 is fashioned with a brace-head, as l2 and I3, which project beyond the abutting ends of the sections and also beyond the hinge pin; and t'o accommo-` date the two projecting braces or heads the inner adjoining ends of the sections are slotted -as at i4, so that these heads are guided by and swing into the slots when the sections are swung into alinement for extending the stretcher.

In this" manner the hinge unit or joint is reinforced todi prevent any tendency of the joint to twist or wabble, and a stable arrangement of parts is provided to withstand carefree handling of the implement in the folding and unfolding operations.

This combination of the two hinge plates and reinforcement of the joint permits the hinge-pin to be offset between two adjoining corners of the abutting ends of the sections, and this location ofthe pivot, in turn, permits facile infolding of the sections to approximate parallel relation,`thus insuring a compact bundle or package when'the stretcher' is folded'that occupies a small space for storage, and also provides a convenient bundle or package for handling as in transportation. j

To hold the joint of the extended side bar against sagging under the weight of the` load of a patient, with the wooden sections, I provide an overlapping metal top plate l5 secured as -by screws I6 to one of the sections, and the pro-k jecting end l1 of this plate forms a bridge-lug that projects kacross the joint `and theipivot pin between the sections, and overlaps a `portion of the abutting end of the other section. 'I'he overlapped section is fashioned with ajtop` recess or groove as I8 into which the overlapping luggfits to provide a `continuous smoothupper facefor theextended side bar. When the stretcher is in extended position, the parallel side bars are spread or spaced-.apart a suitable distance by means of two transversely extending, folding braces, one brace,l located at each handle end of the stretcher, and the outer ends of the links of the folding braces are pivotally connected to the side bars,

joints of the stretcher, and the braces are pre"v vented from swinging outwardlyy from alinement by means of` a hook 26 on one ofthe links. This hook projects beyond the center pivot Lof Athe brace and is rigid with one link-so, that it may enclosey or overlap a portion of the other link, as best seen'in Figure l to prevent 4outwardswing ofthe links. The hook clamps tightly with af close lit on the upper and lower faces of the link,V andthe' friction between the inner faces of the` hook and the upper and lowerkfaces of the link holds the joint against breaking until or unless force -is`applied to the links for that purpose.

As shown, the extended stretcher may be supported above the ground or floor by means of a suitable Anumber of legs, here shown asv six, all

provided with feet, and arranged in pairs, one

pair at each of the handle ends of the stretcher,

stretcher, each have a foot portion 33, and the 'Y bars,

legs are al1 xed to or fastened on the side as by screws 3d.

y The rlegs inthe opposed-pairs 2'l--3iL'28-3l,l and V293-32 are staggered :in their relative positions, in order that in addition to the perform@ ance of their functions as supports for the ex,-

tended stretcher, they may also be utilized as guides and retainers for guiding and holding the sidebar sections in compact arrangement vwhen the stretcher is folded upon itself.

' 'One convenient way for folding the stretcher Vui: on,itseli:` is first to up-end it from horizontal position to upright position and stand it upon two of the' handle' ends'of the side bars. Then theV upper' transverse bracefmay b'e infoldedby hand, while the lower transverse bracelis kicked or infolded by' pressure from a foot. .The upper half of the stretcher is then folded inwardly as the folding-side bars are carried toward each other, the cover C` of course is automaticallyA I folded and its folds conform. to the changing rshape of the stretcher. 'I'hislateral movement i of the side bar sections and'infoldingmovement y of the stretcher brings' the four sidebar'fs'ec-v tions into closely associated parallelismV with the folded stretcher standing onnthe ,fourhandle-- i ends of the stretcher. Y

As the four sections of they side bars Aare brought into closelyA arranged para11elism,-the" free ends ofthe legs (as'21, 29 and 30,'32`)' of'one bar-section slide across" and in frictional foon-r` tact with the outer iiatface of itscomplementary,hinge'd section. Thus the two sections of each folded side bar, near the handle ends'are guided to position and held at ltheir outer sides by a leg, and these two sections atf-theirjolnted ends are held or braced by the heads' of the hinge plates, The handle ends of the two sections of each foldedsidebar are alsa-'held by friction against separation except by force. Inasmuch "as the coverC encloses the outer side or faceof the. side bar, which Vis flat, or flattened toprovide cof action with the inner ilat'side of the-'legs the presence of 'the cover enhances the-frlctional engagement between the metal leg and'thev'ilat f fabric-covered outer f ac'e or side of the side-ban The two centralv legs 28 and 3l attached at 'the inner flat sides of the side-bar'sections la and 2a, are also' arranged instaggered'relatiomlso that the outerside of the leg y28 guides andslides in frictional contactV with'the inner flat side of section l, when the stretcher is folded, and the outer side of the leg 3| guides and ,slidesfirr-fricA tional contact with the inner sideofv the section 2.

The v angle'lbracke'ts 25,v 25,;may also bel stag-i gered-'4in their fixed relative positions Aon thefinner sidesof the sections to which they" are ati tached in order thatthe handle-'ends of theses:

verse center line lwhen the stretcher-framecr side The legs 21, 28, 29for bars are folded, and then the natural folds of the cover are wrapped about the four side-bar sections to aid in forming the compact bundle.

Various changes and alterations may be made in the structures illustrated in the accompanying drawings, as for instance the squared abutting hinged ends of some of the side-bar sections may be provided with wear plates as 35, made of metal l or other suitable material, especially when the side-bar sections are fashioned of wood. These and other similar changes and alterations are contemplated in the manufacture of and physical embodiment of my invention.

The folded stretcher, with its cover utilized as a wrapper may be compacted into a comparatively small space for enclosure in a packing-box or kit-box, and the bundle thereby becomes part of an emergency equipment adapted for variousA tions, and each of said legs adapted to frictionally engage and retain an adjoining section when the stretcher is in folded position.

2. The combination in a folding stretcher having parallel side bars each including alined sections having hinge plates and a hinge pin connecting the plates and offset from adjoining corners of the section-ends, each said plate having an integral projecting head in a plane at right angles to the axis of the hinge pin for holding the alined sections against twisting movement, said section-ends having recesses to receive said heads, and means at each hinge joint to prevent transverse depression of the section-joints.

3. The combination in a folding stretcher having parallel side bars each including two alined sections each section having a hinge-plate and a hinge pin connecting the plates and offset from two adjoining corners of the section-ends, each said plate having a projecting head in a plane at right angles to the axis of the hinge pin and said section-ends having recesses to receive said heads whereby twisting movement of the hinge joints is prevented, and one hinged end of each bar having an upper rigid projection overlapping its complementary alined section to prevent transverse depression of the section-joints.

FRANCIS E. MONTGOMERY. 

